Anupama Dalmia is a 30-time award winning blogger, author, serial entrepreneur, social influencer, creative writing mentor, choreographer and crazy mommy to a 5-year-old. She is a Karamveer Chakra (Silver) awardee which is a global civilian honour presented by International Confederation of NGOs in association with United Nations. She is also a Sheroes Champion and motivates a community of 15 million women through her posts. She is a certified Amazon Influencer with her own storefront of recommendations on Amazon. She has been featured among the top bloggers and influencers of India on multiple coveted platforms, magazines and newspaper dailies.
The devil-may-care youngsters were sprinting across the open field, engrossed in blowing and bursting balloons. All of a sudden, Danny stopped and stared at Diya straight in the eyes.
“Diya, I think it’s time to tell you the truth. You are not my biological sister. We had found you on the lane next to our house. “
There was deafening silence for a few minutes followed by an uproarious laughter.
“You are so mean! You got me for a moment.” , yelled Diya while running behind Danny to punch him.
Some stories remain the same. Only the siblings change.
Seasoned and supremely gifted actors. A powerful and novel concept. A strong technical team. But, something goes wrong along the way, the perfect ingredients don’t make that perfect dish. That’s Helicopter Eela for you! I was left disappointed at the end of it because this could have and should have been a pioneering endeavour in Hindi Cinema. But the half-baked script and the inconsistent screenplay, unfortunately, make this a turbulent ride with a bumpy landing.
When she wanted to express her fear,
they turned a deaf ear.
She couldn’t find strength to narrate her agony;
She had seen her sisters being shamed in the language of misogyny.
I was speaking to an Aunt over the phone but after a point, she seemed quite distracted. When I asked her if she was busy and wanted to disconnect the call, she sighed and agreed. Later, she called me back and apologized for cutting short our conversation. She mentioned that she had been having an argument with my Uncle over a saree that she had purchased.
She lay down on her bed, wistfully reminiscing the past. A grisly accident had brought her career as a language coach to a grinding halt. Her stupor was broken by the shrill buzzing of the doorbell. As the efficient and affable nurse handed over the parcel to her, she gazed at it with quizzical eyes.
“20 years back, people saw the shivering hands and the neurological disorder, but you saw the twinkling eyes and the mind brimming with ideas. Sending the first author signed copy of my debut novel to my favorite teacher. Hope you like it. Happy Teacher’s Day”.
It was love at first sound for both of them. Their guitar chords were in perfect harmony with each other, just the way their heart strings were in tune. His deft hands and her mellifluous voice. Her calm and his unrest. Magic it was!
Years later, she plodded down the staircase of their home with a bagful of memories. She broke down as she clutched the shoes he had left behind before submerging himself in the sea. His failures and her triumphs. Her joy and his resentment. Music had entwined two hearts. Music had drifted them apart.
The cool breeze seeped into every inch of her body. She took rhythmical deep breaths and inhaled the chilly air which warmed her heart and stirred her soul. Away from the clutches of patriarchy, she found solace in the lap of the mountains. There was an enigmatic sense of familiarity in the unexplored terrains.
Perched on a rock, she glanced at her reflection in the pristine lake and a gleaming smile lit up her face. They said she was lost, but she had found herself.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror. The long, lustrous mane that had been fetching her compliments all her life would be a thing of the past soon. It was her identity, they said. She never thought much of her tresses which turned heads everywhere she went, until now.
The next day, social media buzzed with a powerful and extraordinary picture of a mother and daughter duo.
“40- year-old woman goes bald for teen daughter who is battling a rare cancer of the blood”.
A few days back, a dear friend of mine burst into tears while having a conversation with me about her marital woes. She has been struggling to adjust with her emotionally abusive in-laws and when I suggested that she should get her husband to step in, she responded with despondency.
Meenal’s eyeballs popped out in shock. There was no mistake! She was indeed face-to-face with her past. But, how was this possible? Was she hallucinating? A flurry of memories attacked her vision and it all went pitch dark.She opened her eyes and found herself wrapped in a gentle embrace.
“You promised to be with me all my life Meenal. I just helped you keep it.”, muttered Rubina with a menacing laughter.
Meenal found herself entombed at the same spot where she had buried Rubina months back to get rid of her for Akash. It was pitch dark again.
